Rock removing device



April 8, 1969 o. HONRUD 3,437,155

ROCK REMOVING DEVICE Filed May 16, 1966 Sheet 2 of 2 FIG 3 m 32 FIE. 5"

INVENTOR. [001 16 0. Hon/R00 BY 7 9 W United States Patent 3,437,155 ROCK REMOVING DEVICE Ludvig 0. Honrud, Opheim, Mont. 59250 Filed May 16, 1966, Ser. No. 550,332 Int. Cl. A01h 15/16, 23/06 U.S. Cl. 172-566 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Summary of invention This invention relates to a device for dislodging objects wedged between spaced rotatable members. More particularly the device of the invention has arm means usable in conjunction with the packer wheels of a ground packing implement for removing rocks or other objects which may be lodged between adjacent packer wheels.

Briefly described, the object removing device of the invention is used to remove objects, as rocks, dirt and the like, from between adjacent packer wheels, as found on a ground packing implement trailing the seed discs or furrow openers of a grain drill. The device has a plurality of downwardly and forwardly extended arms with at least one arm located between each adjacent packer Wheels. The arms are positioned rearwardly of the axis of rotation of the packer wheels with the upper ends of the arms attached to a transverse beam mounted to the frame of the packer implement by resilient means, as rearwardly projected coil springs. Detachable mounting members are used to releasably connect the springs to the implement frame. The mounting members permit the device to be removed for maintenance and storage and used with other implements having movable members which can collect objects.

The device is sturdy in construction requiring minimum maintenance and operates to remove objects from between packer wheels without interfering with the operation of the wheels. After initial installation on a ground packing implement the device automatically and repeatedly operates without adjustment or further attention.

In use the springs function to resiliently hold the arms between adjacent packer wheels. In the removal of an object from between adjacent packer wheels the springs deflect upwardly when the object engages one of the arms. The object being carried by the wheels moves the arms upwardly and outwardly whereby the object is forced from between the Wheels. As soon as the article has been dislodged from between the wheels the springs return the arms to their original positions.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a grain drill equipped with a ground packing implement having the rock removing device of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the ground packing implement in assembled relation with the rock removing device;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 showing a rock lodged between adjacent packer wheels;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the rock being dislodged from between the packer wheels by the rock removing device; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 4.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a grain drill indicated generally at 10 connected to a ground or seed bed packing implement 11 operable to pack and level seed bed 12. In use under conditions where the seed bed has rocks or similar hard objects, the rocks lodge between adjacent packer wheels of the packing implement to prevent effective operation of and even stop rotation of the packer wheels. These rocks must be removed from between adjacent packer wheels thereby necessitating the stopping of the planting operation with the result of a loss of time and labor.

The object removing device of this invention, indicated generally at 13, is operable to automatically remove objects, as rocks, solid earth, wood, trash or the like, which may become lodged between adjacent wheels of the ground packing implement. The device operates in conjunction with the rotating packer wheels which carry the objects into engagement with arms operative to dislodge objects from between adjacent Wheels.

The grain drill has a longitudinal frame 14 carrying an upright transverse hopper 16 used to carry a supply of seed. Located below hopper 16 are a plurality of transversely aligned double disc furrow openers 17 operable to place the seed into seed bed 12. A sub-frame assembly 18 pivotally mounted on frame 14 attaches each furrow opener .17 to frame 14. Metering units (not shown) located on the bottom portion of hopper 16 discharge seed into a plurality of flexible tubes 19 which carry the seed down to seed dispensing means 20 operable to discharge the seed between double disc furrow openers.

To insure optimum seed bed conditions a seed bed or ground packing implement 11 is used to compact and even the soil behind the furrow openers. Implement 11 comprises a plurality of transversely spaced packer wheels 21 mounted on a transverse axle 22. Wheels 21 are discs having relatively large diameters and substantial weight. The space 23 between the wheels may vary and is approximatley the same distance between adjacent furrow openers. Transverse axle 22 is connected to drill frame 14 by a pair of elongated members 24 and 26. The rear ends of the elongated members are secured to sleeve hearing assemblies 27 rotatably mounted on opposite end portions of axle 22. The forward ends of elongated members 24 and 26 are pivotally secured to downwardly projected brackets 28 carried by frame 14. Transverse pivot pins 29 pivotally connect the elongated members 24 and 26 to brackets 28. The mid-portion of the arm members 24 and 26 are connected to the rear of frame 14 by flexible linkages 31, as clevis and link assemblies.

Referring to FIGURES 2 and 3, the object removing device 13 has a plurality of elongated bar members 32 projected downwardly and forwardly into the spaces 23 between the wheels 21. The upper ends of bar members 32 are secured to a transverse beam 33 by welds or the like. The bar members 32 and beam 33 form a one piece comb with the bar members transversely spaced from each other and locate-d parallel to each other. Beam 33 extends transversely across the rear or trailing edges of wheels 21 and are supported by resilient means comprising a pair of coil springs '34 and 36. The springs 34 and 36 project in rearward directions and are located above and in the general upright planes of the adjacent bar members. By reason of coil springs 34 and 36 the beam 33 and all the bar members 32 are resiliently supported with one bar member located in each of the spaces 23 between wheels 21.

As shown in FIGURE 6, spring 34 is mounted on a cylindrical knob 37 secured to beam 33 thereby coupling the spring to the beam. Spring 36 is attached to the opposite end portion of the beam 33 in a similar manner.

The forward end of spring 34 is attached to a mount indicated generally at 38 used to facilitate the assembly of the rock removing device 13 on implement 11. Mount 38 comprises an outer tubular member 39, as a pipe, fixed to the top of the rear end of the elongated member 24. An inner member or rod 41 is telescoped into tubular member '39 and maintained in an assembled position with the tubular member 39 by a transverse fastener 42, as a bolt or pin. The rear portion of rod 41 projects rearwardly from tubular member 39 and is attached to spring 34. Coil spring 36 is coupled to the rear end of member 26 by a mount 43 which is identical in construction with mount 38.

To remove the object removing device '13 from implement 1 1 fasteners 42 are first removed from mounts 38 and 43. When this is done inner rods 41 may be with drawn from tubular members 39 thereby disconnecting device 13 from implement 11.

In use, springs 34 and 36 yieldably hold the bar members 32 between wheels 21 with the forward ends 44 of the bar members located about midway between the axis of rotation of the wheels and the outer periphery of wheels thereby locating the forward ends of the arms above the surface of seed bed 12. As shown in FIGURE 4, a rock 46 wedge-d between adjacent wheels 21 is carried by the wheels in the direction of arrow 47 rearwardly and upwardly toward the lower side of bar member 32. As shown in FIGURE 5, as the wheels rotate the rock 46 engages the lower or back side of bar member 32 forcing bar member 32 in an upward direction and deflecting springs 34 and 36 upwardly. As the outer ends of the springs curve upwardly bar member 32 pivots in a radially outward direction moving the outer ends 44 in a general radial direction as shown by arrow 48 forcing the rock 46 radially outwardly from between wheels 21 thereby forcing or kicking the rock 46 from between the wheels. As soon as rock 46 has been forced from between the wheels 21 the springs 34 and 36 return to their normal elongated positions, as shown in FIGURE 4, yieldably holding the bar members in their inclined positions between adjacent wheels. In this position bar members 32 extend downwardly and forwardly with their forward ends 44 spaced above seed bed 12.

It is intended to be within the scope of the invention to provide the object removing device 13 with one or any number of forwardly projected bar members, as one bar member 32, resiliently mounted on a ground working implement having at least one pair of spaced movable members. The bar member extends forwardly between the members. In use, objects or obstructions which may be lodged between the members engage the bar member which forces the object from between the members.

The invention is defined in the following claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A device for dislodging objects wedged between spaced ground engaging members rotatably mounted on a frame of an earth working implement comprising: arm means projected inwardly between the spaced rotatable members from the one side of the members, a transverse support located adjacent said one side of the ground engaging members, resilient means comprising at least a pair of spaced springs secured to the support, mounting means securing the springs to the frame locating the arm means between the spaced ground engaging members, yieldably mounting both the transverse support and the arm means, said springs constituting the sole support for said transverse support and arm means whereby the arm means is moved when engaged by an object lodged between said members forcing the object from between said members.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said arm means comprises an elongated bar member projected downwardly and forwardly between the spaced members.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said resilient means comprise coil spring means.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said arm means comprise an elongated bar member projected downwardly and forwardly between the spaced members and said resilient means comprises coil spring means located above in the general upright plane of the bar member.

5. The device of claim 6 wherein said mounting means comprise a first member and a second member releasably secured to the first member.

6. A device for dislodging objects wedged between spaced ground engaging discs mounted on a transverse axle of a ground packing implement comprising arm means projected inwardly between the spaced members from the one side of the members, and resilient means secured to the arm means yieldably mounting the arm means whereby the arm means is moved when engaged by an object lodged between said members forcing the object from between said members, said arm means including a plurality of elongated bar members, at least one bar member projected downwardly and forwardly into each space between the discs, a transverse support fixedly secured to the rear end sections of the elongated bar members, said resilient means comprising a plurality of spring means secured to spaced portions of the support, and mounting means securing the spring means to portions of the axle and constituting the sole support for said bar members.

7. The device defined in claim 6 wherein said mounting means includes a first member releasably connected to a second member, said first member being attached to said spring means.

8. The device defined in claim 6 wherein said spring means comprise a pair of coil springs.

9. The device defined in claim 6 wherein said spring means comprise a plurality of coil springs, each coil spring located above an elongated bar member in the general upright plane of the bar member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 902,23 8 10/1908 Kummur 56400.08

352,210 11/1886 Thomson 172-563 988,030 3/1911 Quellennec 172-547 X FOREIGN PATENTS 242,789 6/ 1946 Switzerland.

249,210 7/ 1960 Australia.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

STEPHEN C. P ELLEGRINO, Assistant Examiner. 

